Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: This book came highly recommended, but I was *highly* disappointed. I love sign language and Deaf culture, and have several books on the subject. This ranks poorly as both an instructional book and as a culture book. The signs are described, not illustrated, and it's very confusing to try to figure out the sign based solely on its description -- and I have been signing for 15 years! The only redeeming part of the book is its emphasis on facial expression as part of ASL. There are so many BETTER books available, don't waste your time with this!
Rating: 
Summary: Extraordinary!
Review: This book is extraordinary. It is a straightforward and brilliant celebration of Deaf Culture and American Sign Language! The reader is inspired to journey beyond outdated and didactic methods of learning a new language through simply mimicking illustrations (see review dated November 9, 2000)! (I was disappointed to read that someone who has been "signing for fifteen years" possesses such a superficial understanding of language in general.) This book truthfully proclaims that its author, a certified sign language interpreter who possesses over twenty years of experience in the field, celebrates such an amazing and unique language by encouraging the reader to embrace creative and thoughtful expression of ideas that is inherent to ASL. The author further enriches the reader's experience by contextualizing the creative process within a sophisticated, yet comprehesible, backdrop of lingusitic rules and cultural wealth that serve as the very foundation of ASL. I found this book to be refreshing and inspiring. Clearly, the author, through years of experience, training and intensive collaboration with professionals from both the Hearing and Deaf Worlds has succeeded in producing an informative, creative and accessible work that transcends the dividing line. Cheers for Diane Chambers!
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